HC strikes down quota to Muslims

Hyderabad, Feb 8: The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in a major blow to the state Government in general and the Muslim minorities in particular, the four per cent reservations provided to the Muslims in the State.A seven-member bench, headed by Chief Justice A. R Dave, which went through all the contentious issues related to reservations to economically backward Muslims in employment and educational institutions, struck down the religion-based quota as unsustainable.

The hearings concluded in March 2009.However, the State Government has decided to move the Supreme Court against the judgment and take such measures as to ensure that the students who were admitted to various educational institutions under the 4 per cent quota do not suffer a loss of the current academic session. The reservations were provided under a state government Welfare Department  order (Ms 23, Backward Class Welfare (c2) on July 7, 2007. The ruling Congress also promised to provide quota to the economically backward Muslims in its manifesto during the general elections of 2009.

The G.O was based on section 7 of the Andhra Pradesh Reservation in Favour of Socially and Educationally Backward classes of Muslims Ordinance, 2007an Ordinance the state government. This quota provision was the third failed attempt by the YS Rajasekhar Reddy government in the past to provide reservations to the minority communities.Way back in November  2005, the High Court also spiked the 5 percent reservations under Backward Classes quota sought to be provided to the Muslim minorities in public employment and educational institutions .